Glossary Of Printing Terms

A

Accordion Fold A style of folding paper into a series of parallel, back-and-forth folds so the sheet opens like a fan. Common on brochures and menus that need several panels in a compact size.

Adobe Acrobat Software is used to open, create, and edit PDF files. Most print-ready files are submitted and proofed as PDFs generated through Acrobat or a design program’s PDF export.

Anti-Aliasing A technique that smooths jagged edges on curved or diagonal lines in digital artwork by blending pixel colors, so text and graphics look cleaner in print.

Artwork The final design file, image, or layout supplied for printing. Our print design team can review your artwork for print readiness before it goes to press.

Ascender The part of a lowercase letter, such as “b,” “d,” or “l,” that extends above the main body of the letter. Ascender height affects line spacing and overall readability.

Aqueous Coating A fast-drying, water-based coating applied to printed sheets to add protection and a matte, satin, or gloss finish. It is commonly used as an alternative to varnish or UV coating depending on the project requirements.

B

Back Up Printing the second side of a sheet so it aligns correctly with the front, ensuring both sides register properly once trimmed.

Banner A large format printed sign, often on vinyl or fabric, used for advertising, events, or storefront signage. Explore our custom banners for trade shows, grand openings, and outdoor promotions.

Basis Weight The weight of 500 sheets of paper at the standard basic size for that paper category. Because basic sheet sizes vary by paper type, basis weights are most useful when comparing stocks within the same category.

Bevel A slanted or angled edge cut into a sign, sticker, or panel material, often used for a more finished, dimensional look.

Bindery The finishing department where printed sheets are folded, cut, collated, and bound into their final form.

Bleed Artwork that extends past the trim edge of a page so that after trimming, color or images run all the way to the edge with no white border.

Blind Emboss A raised, three-dimensional design pressed into paper without ink or foil, creating a subtle texture and shadow effect.

Booklet A small, bound publication with multiple pages, typically finished with saddle stitch or perfect binding.

Border A decorative or functional line, frame, or edge treatment placed around content on a printed page.

C

Caliper The thickness of a single sheet of paper or board, usually measured in thousandths of an inch (points) or millimeters.

Card Stock A heavier, stiffer paper used for items like business cards, postcards, and presentation folders.

CMYK The four ink colors, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, used in most commercial printing. Many print workflows use CMYK, though file requirements can vary by printer and production process.

Coated Paper Paper treated with a coating, such as gloss, matte, or satin, that creates a smoother printing surface and sharper image reproduction.

Collate Arranging printed sheets or sets in the correct numbered order before binding or finishing.

Color Proof A sample print used to check color accuracy before a full production run begins. Our print design team reviews proofs with clients to confirm color before printing.

Crop Marks Small lines printed at the corners of a page indicating where the final piece should be trimmed.

D

Debossing A finishing technique that presses a design into paper or another substrate, creating a recessed, indented image rather than a raised one.

Density A measurement of how dark or saturated printed ink appears on a substrate, used to keep color consistent throughout a print run.

Die Cutting A process that uses a custom-shaped blade, or die, to cut printed material into a specific shape, such as a rounded business card or a custom label.

Digital Printing A printing method that transfers digital files directly to a substrate without the need for printing plates, ideal for shorter runs and fast turnaround.

DPI Dots per inch, a measurement of how many ink or toner dots a printer can place within one inch. Higher DPI can support finer printed detail, while image-file resolution is typically measured in pixels per inch (PPI).

Duplex Printing Printing on both sides of a sheet, either automatically by the press or manually as a second pass.

E

Embossing A finishing technique that raises a design above the surface of paper or another material, adding texture and dimension.

Envelope A paper enclosure used to mail letters, invitations, or documents, available in custom sizes, colors, and printing. Browse our custom envelope options.

EPS File Encapsulated PostScript, a vector-based file format commonly used for logos and illustrations that need to scale without losing quality.

F

Flood Coat A coating, varnish, or ink layer applied across the entire surface of a printed sheet rather than in a specific spot.

Foil Stamping A finishing process that applies metallic or colored foil to paper using heat and pressure, often for a premium look on business cards, invitations, or packaging.

Font A specific style and design of typeface, including its weight, size, and character set.

Fold A crease applied to paper to divide it into panels, such as a tri-fold or gate-fold.

Four Color Process Another term for CMYK printing, where cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks combine to reproduce full color images.

G

Gang Run A cost-saving print method where multiple jobs from different customers are printed together on the same sheet or press run.

Gate Fold A fold style where both outer panels fold inward toward the center, meeting like a set of gates, without overlapping.

Gloss Finish A shiny, reflective coating or paper finish that makes colors appear more vibrant and saturated.

Grain Direction The direction in which paper fibers run, which affects how the paper folds, tears, and feeds through a press.

Greyscale An image or design printed using only shades of gray rather than color.

Gutter The blank space along the inner margin of a page where it meets the binding, or the space between columns in a layout.

H

Halftone A technique that reproduces continuous tone images, like photographs, using a pattern of dots of varying size to simulate shades and gradients.

Hard Proof A physical, printed sample of a job used to check color, layout, and finishing before full production, as opposed to a digital or “soft” proof.

Head Trim The amount of paper trimmed from the top edge of a printed sheet or bound book to reach its final size.

I

Image Area The portion of a page or sheet where printed content, such as text and graphics, is allowed to appear, generally bounded by the page margins.

Imposition The arrangement of multiple pages on a single printed sheet so that, once folded and trimmed, the pages fall in the correct order.

Ink Coverage The amount and density of ink applied across a printed piece, which can affect drying time, cost, and finished appearance.

J

Jog To align a stack of printed sheets evenly along their edges, typically done before cutting, folding, or binding.

JPEG A common compressed image file format. JPEGs are widely used for photos online but are generally not ideal for text-heavy print artwork, where vector formats are preferred.

K

K (Black) The “K” in CMYK, representing black ink. It is used alongside cyan, magenta, and yellow to produce full color prints and deep, true blacks.

Kerning The adjustment of space between individual letters in a line of text to improve visual balance and readability.

Knockout An area of an image or background left unprinted so that an underlying color or the paper itself shows through, often used with overlapping colors.

L

Lamination A protective plastic film applied to the surface of a printed piece to add durability, resistance to moisture, and a glossy or matte look.

Leading The vertical space between lines of text in a paragraph, which affects readability and overall design feel.

Letterpress A traditional printing method that presses inked, raised type or plates directly into paper, often leaving a slight tactile impression.

Lithography A printing process, including offset printing, based on the principle that oil and water do not mix, allowing an inked image to transfer from a plate to paper.

Logo A graphic symbol or design used to represent a business or brand, typically supplied as a vector file for the sharpest print results.

M

Magenta One of the four CMYK process colors, a reddish pink ink used alongside cyan, yellow, and black to create full color prints.

Make Ready The setup process before a print run begins, including adjusting the press, aligning plates, and checking color and registration.

Matte Finish A flat, non-reflective coating or paper finish that reduces glare and gives printed pieces a soft, understated look.

Mock Up A visual, sometimes physical, representation of a finished design used to preview layout, sizing, and finishing before printing.

N

Numbering The process of printing sequential numbers on a series of documents, such as tickets, invoices, or forms, often for tracking purposes.

Neutral Gray A gray tone with no visible warm or cool color cast, used as a reference point when checking color accuracy on press.

O

Offset Printing A high volume printing method where ink is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to paper, well suited to large print runs with consistent color.

Opacity How much a substrate, like paper, blocks light from showing through, or how transparent or solid a printed ink layer appears.

Overprint Printing one ink directly on top of another rather than knocking out the layer beneath, often used intentionally for certain color effects.

P

PDF Portable Document Format, the standard file type for submitting print-ready artwork because it preserves layout, fonts, and images across devices.

Perfect Binding A binding method where pages are glued to a flat spine, commonly used for books, catalogs, and magazines.

Perforation A line of small cuts or holes in paper that allow a section to be torn off cleanly, common on coupons, tickets, and order forms.

PMS (Pantone Matching System) A standardized color matching system that assigns a specific numbered ink formula to a color, ensuring consistent color across print runs and vendors.

Postcard A single sheet, often heavier card stock, printed piece typically mailed without an envelope.

Prepress All the steps taken to prepare a file for printing, including proofing, color correction, and imposition, before it goes to press.

Proof A preview version of a print job, either digital or printed, used to check for errors before full production begins.

Q

Quality Control The checks and standards applied throughout production to make sure a printed piece matches the approved proof in color, alignment, and finishing.

R

Raster Image An image made up of a fixed grid of pixels, such as a JPEG or PNG. Raster images lose quality when scaled up, unlike vector graphics.

Registration The precise alignment of multiple ink colors or print elements on a page so that everything lines up correctly.

Resolution The level of detail in an image, typically measured in pixels per inch (PPI) for digital artwork. Higher-resolution images generally reproduce more sharply in print.

RGB A color mode using red, green, and blue light for screens and digital displays. Commercial printing typically uses CMYK, so RGB artwork may need to be converted or processed for the printer’s required color workflow.

Roll Fold A fold style where each panel wraps around the previous one, rolling inward like a scroll.

S

Saddle Stitch A binding method that uses staples along the folded spine of a booklet, common for programs, catalogs, and magazines.

Safe Area The margin inside a page’s trim line where important text and images should stay, to avoid being cut off during trimming.

Screen Printing A printing method that pushes ink through a mesh screen onto a substrate, often used for signs, apparel, and promotional items.

Score A crease pressed into paper or card stock to make folding easier and cleaner, especially on heavier stock.

Spot Color A premixed, specific ink color, such as a PMS color, printed on its own rather than built from CMYK process colors.

Spot UV A glossy UV coating applied only to selected areas of a printed piece to create contrast and visual emphasis. Some specialty applications may also create a raised effect.

Stock Another term for the paper or material a piece is printed on, referring to its weight, finish, and type.

Substrate The material being printed on, which can include paper, card stock, vinyl, fabric, or rigid signage material.

T

Tabloid A paper size measuring 11 by 17 inches, commonly used for larger flyers, posters, and newspaper-style layouts.

Template A pre-formatted design file with set dimensions, bleed, and safe area guidelines, used as a starting point for print-ready artwork.

Tint A lighter shade of a color created by adding white or reducing ink density, often expressed as a percentage.

Trim Size The final, finished size of a printed piece after it has been cut down from the printed sheet.

U

UV Coating A high gloss, liquid coating cured with ultraviolet light, applied to add shine and durability to a printed piece.

Uncoated Paper Paper with no gloss or matte coating applied, giving it a more natural, matte texture and slightly softer print result.

V

Variable Data Printing A digital printing technique that customizes elements, like names or addresses, on each piece within the same print run, often used in direct mail campaigns.

Vector Graphics Images built from mathematical paths rather than pixels, allowing them to scale to any size without losing quality. Logos and line art are best supplied as vector files.

Varnish A clear coating applied over ink to protect the printed surface and add gloss, matte, or satin sheen.

W

Watermark A faint design, logo, or text embedded in paper or overlaid on a digital proof, often used to indicate a draft or protect artwork.

Web Press A high-speed printing press that feeds paper from a large, continuous roll rather than individual sheets, typically used for large volume jobs.

Weight A measurement used to describe the mass of a paper stock, commonly expressed as basis weight or GSM. Paper weight affects the feel and durability of a finished piece but does not always directly indicate thickness.

Wide Format Printing Printing done on presses capable of handling large sheets or rolls, typically used for banners, posters, and signage.

X

X Height The height of lowercase letters in a typeface, excluding ascenders and descenders, which influences overall readability and type size perception.

Y

Yellow (CMYK) One of the four CMYK process colors, used alongside cyan, magenta, and black to build full color printed images.

Z

Zip File A compressed file format used to bundle multiple design files together, often used when submitting a project with several components.

Zoom Crop Cropping an image tightly around its main subject to fill a given space, often used for photos in layouts with fixed dimensions.